Arctiidae-Derived Sensor Cells With Refrigeration Resistance

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing odor sensors that rely on artificially prepared lipid bilayer membranes with sensor proteins are inefficient to produce and lack adequate refrigeration resistance, necessitating the development of cells with improved storage stability for use in chemical sensors.

Innovation Solution

Cells derived from the family Arctiidae, particularly Spilosoma imparilis, are engineered to express sensor proteins, including odorant receptors, with integrated coding sequences for refrigeration resistance and drug resistance, and are used in cell chips for chemical detection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If cells are prepared in advance and retained in containers for convenience, then ease of operation is improved, but cells may dry out and lose refrigeration resistance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconvenience in useVSAvoidrefrigeration resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs insect cells that can be rapidly cultured and prepared as disposable sensor units. These cells are cultured in advance, loaded into sensor devices, and then used before being discarded, eliminating the need for long-term storage while maintaining operational convenience. This approach trades the reusability of expensive cells for the simplicity of disposable ones, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and refrigeration resistance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Measurement precision

If lipid bilayer membranes are artificially prepared to incorporate sensor proteins, then measurement precision is improved, but production efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveodor sensor performanceVSAvoidproduction efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential functional component (sensor-expressing cells) from the complex lipid bilayer membrane system. By using whole insect cells that naturally express odorant receptors, the invention eliminates the time-consuming processes of artificial lipid bilayer preparation while retaining the high measurement precision of receptor-based sensing. This extraction of the core functional element resolves the contradiction between measurement precision and production efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The insect cells autonomously express and maintain the sensor proteins (odorant receptors) within their cellular structures. This self-service capability eliminates the need for external preparation of lipid bilayers and protein incorporation, as the cells naturally provide the sensing function. The cells are simply cultured and deployed, dramatically improving productivity while maintaining measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If cells are cultured and prepared each time for use, then refrigeration resistance is improved, but productivity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverefrigeration resistanceVSAvoidproduction efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary cell culture and preparation steps that create ready-to-use sensor cells in advance. These pre-prepared cells can be stored and deployed quickly when needed, combining the benefits of advance preparation (improved reliability) with efficient deployment (maintained productivity). The cells are cultured, validated, and packaged beforehand, eliminating the need for time-consuming preparation at the point of use.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4682251A1Cells derived from insect of subfamily arctiinae
Publication Date: 2026.01.21 SUMITOMO CHEM CO LTD
  • EP4682251A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4682251A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4682251A1 patent drawing

AI summary

Provided are cells with excellent refrigeration resistance that can be used in chemical sensors. The cells are derived from an insect of the family Arctiidae, containing an exogenous polynucleotide containing a coding sequence for a sensor protein.